Japanese Companies Allowing Workers to Leave China after Fatal Stabbing

Jiji Press

13:23 JST, September 20, 2024

Beijing (Jiji Press)—Some Japanese companies are beginning to allow their expatriate employees in China to temporarily return home after Wednesday’s fatal stabbing of a Japanese schoolboy in the country sent a shockwave through them.

The latest stabbing, which happened in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, southern China, followed an assault in June that left a Japanese woman and her child injured and a Chinese woman dead in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, eastern China.

“Safety and security are the basic conditions for doing business,” a senior official of a major manufacturer with a base in Beijing said in an angry tone. “We cannot ignore the fact that Japanese citizens have been targeted successively.”

The manufacturer is considering returning family members of its expatriates to Japan temporarily.

Panasonic Holdings Corp. has decided to allow Japanese employees to return home temporarily and cover related expenses not only for them but also for their family members. It plans to launch a counseling service for its employees over the latest incident.

Among Japanese companies operating in Beijing, a major automaker plans to interview employees raising children about their concerns. A parts manufacturer will suspend business trips to China for the time being.

“Our company instructed us to refrain from holding events among Japanese nationals,” a company official stationed in the Chinese capital said.

Tetsuro Honma, head of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, which comprises Japanese companies and other entities operating in China, attended an extraordinary meeting with senior officials of the Japanese Embassy in China on Thursday.

“Member companies are beginning to take measures in response to the latest incident,” Honma said. “We will share information with member companies.”

Honma asked the Japanese and Chinese governments to swiftly provide detailed information, including the background of the incident.

The official of the major manufacturer pointed out that the motive of the suspect in the June incident is still unknown. “It’s essential to uncover the truth so that safety measures can be implemented,” the official said, adding, “In the current situation, we cannot decide to expand investment in China.”